Dodgers steal ex-Yankees stud reliever on two-year rehab deal

Adam Weinrib

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 18: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Tommy Kahnle #48 of the New York Yankees in action against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Yankee Stadium on September 18, 2019 in New York City. The Angels defeated the Yankees 3-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

The Dodgers have signed Tommy Kahnle during his Tommy John rehab.

As the rest of the free agency cycle remains somewhat dormant, the Dodgers have struck repeatedly on solid relievers in the middle of their personal comebacks.

And on Wednesday, they’ve added another — though likely someone who won’t help the roster much until Year Two of his two-year deal.

After counting on Corey Knebel and Jimmy Nelson while entertaining a Ryne Stanek addition, the Dodgers came to terms on Wednesday with former Yankees setup man Tommy Kahnle on a two-year contract that covers a long rehab period as the changeup specialist completes his recovery from Tommy John surgery.

Free-agent reliever Tommy Kahnle in agreement with Dodgers on two-year contract, source tells The Athletic. Kahnle underwent Tommy John surgery in August.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 23, 2020

Kahnle is an electric reliever and personality, and someone whom the Yankees realized was core to their philosophy only when they lost him in 2020 and the bridge to Chad Green/Zack Britton/Aroldis Chapman became painfully unsteady.

He pitched in just one inning in 2020 before his forearm tightness became something more — Kahnle struck out three batters in Washington, preserving a victory and posting 0.1 WAR as swiftly as a pitcher can do so.

The energetic righty arrived midway through the 2017 season in the same trade that brought David Robertson to New York and twirled a 2.70 ERA during the team’s playoff push. His 2018 was disastrous (6.56 mark and a few demotions along the way), but his 2019 was sublime, featuring a 3.67 ERA in 61.1 crucial innings with 88 whiffs.

When Kahnle is able to return to the mound, he’ll be a massive boon for the Dodgers, and should nestle in nicely in a seventh-inning bridge role.

Despite his overall wild man vibe, he projects a strangely low amount of volatility when he gets on the mound.

Opposing hitters know they’re getting the changeup, they remain unable to track it, and their corrosive whiffs lead to fist-pumping mound celebrations. If that’s your thing, you’re really going to love Year 2 of this deal.

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Adam Weinrib

Adam Weinrib is a Content Director on the FanSided network, and has been the co-editor at Yanks Go Yard and Dodgers Way for 4 years. He also co-hosts The Baseball Insiders Podcast twice weekly, alongside FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray, as well as the Yanks Go Yard Podcast. Previously, he was a Senior Editor at 12up.com, and has been covering MLB and NFL for eight years. Previously, he was a headline and features contributor at ClickHole and Onion Sports, as well as the Associate Producer of the ESPN 30 for 30 film "Believeland". An avowed fan of the New York sports teams -- specifically the Yankees -- as well as the North Carolina Tar Heels, you can find Adam complaining mid-game on Twitter, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn if the game goes really poorly.